FIFA World Cup | DD News

June 12, 2026 10:06 AM

South Korea snatch 2-1 win over Czech Republic in World Cup opener

South Korea came back from a goal down to snatch a thrilling 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their World Cup Group A opener on Thursday, substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu grabbing the winner in the 80th minute. Korea captain Son Heung-Min wasted a number of decent chances before his Czech counterpart Ladislav Krejci broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 59th minute by heading home from a long throw-in, but the lead was short-lived as Hwang In-Beom kept his cool to dink the equaliser over t...

June 12, 2026 9:42 AM

FIFA World Cup: Quinones, Jimenez shine as Mexico start campaign with 2-0 win over South Africa

Mexico began their FIFA World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Friday, with Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez finding the net in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. The match was played at a high intensity and featured three red cards. According to ESPN, it marked the 20th World Cup match hosted at Estadio Azteca — the most by any stadium in tournament history. Mexico also extended their unbeaten record at the venue and registered a ...

June 10, 2026 11:09 AM

US denies Somali World Cup soccer referee entry because of ‘security threat’

The Trump administration said on Tuesday the United States had denied Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to "suspected members of terror organizations". The administration's strict immigration policies have been a point of concern ahead of the World Cup, with Washington imposing a sweeping travel ban last year on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia. Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali...

June 10, 2026 10:17 AM

Iran football team can enter US a day before World Cup matches: Homeland Security

Iran's national football team will be allowed to enter the United States a day before each of its FIFA World Cup matches, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Tuesday, dismissing reports that the squad would be required to travel in and out of the country on match days. The clarification came after reports quoting Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, suggested that the team would have to enter and leave the US on the same day as their matches, raising concerns over tra...

May 11, 2026 8:50 PM

How Kansas City became a surprise World Cup hotspot

In its storied history, Kansas City has attracted traders and mobsters, jazz legends and barbecue pitmasters, and even Taylor Swift. Now it is preparing to welcome some of the world's best soccer players - and their devoted followers. Kansas City is the smallest of the 11 U.S. host cities for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. Yet three of the top seeds - Argentina, England and the Netherlands - have chosen it as their base. That means this Midwestern city will tr...

April 1, 2026 1:27 PM

Italy miss out on World Cup for third straight time after shootout loss to Bosnia

Italy's agonising World Cup exile continues after they fell to a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their playoff final on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw. Four-time champions Italy had lost out at the playoff stage to miss the last two World Cups, and their last qualification in 2014 coincided with Bosnia's only previous appearance. Since lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy have won one game at the finals. Bosnia will play in Group B at the World Cup, joining co-hosts Canada,...

November 17, 2025 9:32 AM

Portugal qualify for World Cup with 9-1 thrashing of Armenia

Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia that included hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves. The reigning Nations League champions were forced to wait to book an automatic spot after losing 2-0 to Ireland on Thursday in a game where their captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off. But Roberto Martinez's side needed no help from their all-time top scorer in a one-sided match that assured them top spot in Group F with 13 points, giving Ronal...

November 6, 2025 12:22 PM

FIFA launches annual Peace Prize with first to be awarded at World Cup draw

FIFA announced a new annual award called the FIFA Peace Prize which will be given to its first winner during the 2026 World Cup finals draw in Washington D.C. next month, world soccer's governing body said on Wednesday. Dubbed the "FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World", FIFA said it was created to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace". "In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it's fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribut...

September 24, 2025 9:38 AM

Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as US tightens visa policies

U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes "countless people from all over the globe" will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States. Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound ...

September 17, 2025 12:55 PM

FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs around the world as part of an expanded Club Benefits Programme (CBP) tied to the 2026 World Cup, soccer's world governing body announced on Tuesday. The initiative marks an increase of close to 70% from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar. For the first time, clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers -- not just the finals -- will be compensated. The initiative is part of a renewed memorandum of under...